OpenAI said on Friday that it thwarted an Iranian influence campaign that used ChatGPT to generate fake news stories and social posts aimed at Americans. The company identified and banned accounts generating content for five websites pretending to be news outlets, spreading “polarizing messages” on issues like the US presidential campaign, LGBTQ+ rights, and the war in Gaza. The operation, identified as “Storm-2035,” was part of a series of influence campaigns connected with the Iranian government. OpenAI stated that the operation did not gain significant traction, with most social media posts receiving few likes, shares, or comments. The operation targeted opposing viewpoints by creating content for faux conservative and progressive news outlets. Additionally, it included content about Israel’s presence at the Olympics, Venezuelan politics, Latin American communities’ rights, Scottish Independence, and comments about fashion and beauty to appear more authentic. OpenAI Intelligence and Investigations investigator Ben Nimmo told Bloomberg that the operation tried to play both sides but did not receive engagement from either. This busted influence operation follows the disclosure that Iranian hackers targeted both Harris’ and Trump’s campaigns, with Roger Stone falling victim to phishing emails from the hackers. The FBI found no evidence that anyone in the Harris campaign fell for the scheme.
